Two textbooks or handout packages will be used in this course. One will be an overview of semiconductor manufacturing and the other will cover statistics applied to process control. Hand-outs and on-line resources will be used as needed.

VI. Catalog Course Description

This course will connect the educational experience at the community college with the nanofabrication capstone semester at Penn State University. Topics covered will be an overview of semiconductor manufacturing, careers in nanofabrication, and current and proposed applications of nanofabrication and the basic concepts of statistics in process control.

VII. Required Course Content and Direction

Learning Goals:

Industry overview and typical applications

Current applications in semiconductor manufacturing

Nanobiotechnology applications in the medical and pharmaceutical industries

Solid state biological sensors

Directions in current research

Career choices in nanofabrication

Types of skills required

Employment opportunities

Higher education possibilities in nanofabrication

Overview of the nanofabrication technology

Refining silicon into pure ingots

Preparation of wafers

Producing the layers of the integrated circuit

Testing and packaging

Statistical methods applied to manufacturing

Mathematical elements of statistics

Probability distributions

Applications of distributions to manufacturing

Computer statistical analysis

Planned Sequence of Topics and/or Learning Activities:

Introduction to nanofabrication

History of nanofabrication

Microchip industry facts

Role of National Nanofabrication users Network (NNUN)

Role of the Pennsylvania Nanofabrication Manufacturing Technology (NMT) Partnership

Medical and pharmaceutical applications

Biochemical sensors

Drug analysis and purification

Microelectronic drug delivery systems

Solid state sensors and devices

Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) technology

Pressure and acceleration sensors

Microfluidic devices

Future growth areas in nanofabrication

Current research

Education for nanofabrication

Breakdown of technician training at the community college level

Pathways to a bachelors degree in nanofabrication

Professional development opportunities

Skills required

Types of equipment used in nanofabrication

The clean room environment

Employment opportunities

Types of industries

Job levels and salaries

Basic processes of nanofabrication technology

Growth of silicon ingots

Wafer processing

Deposition techniques

Lithography

Etching and planarization

Testing and packaging

Statistics

Mean, Median and Mode

Variance and standard deviation

Probability

Normal Distribution

Statistics in process control

Variation and accuracy

Feedback Process Control

Assessment Methods for Core Learning Goals:

Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Students:

Criteria for selection of text material. (See course format) Two textbooks or handout packages will be used in this course. One will be an overview of semiconductor manufacturing and the other will cover statistics applied to process control. Hand-outs and on-line resources will be used as needed.